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Back on top! Syracuse University named No. 1 snowiest college in U.S. again

Syracuse University: Snowiest colleges in the U.S.

Kylie Potrikns, 9, climbs what may be the biggest snow ball in the world on the Syracuse University campus in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Feb. 19, 2005. Syracuse University has been named the No. 2 snowiest college in the U.S. by AccuWeather -- and No. 1 by The Weather Channel.
(Kevin Rivoli | krivoli@syracuse.com)

Syracuse basketball is no longer No. 1 in the nation, but SU is back on top in another category: snow.

The Weather Channel named Syracuse University the snowiest college in America in a new list published Wednesday. The campus in Syracuse, N.Y. sees an average of more than 126 inches of snow annually, according to TWC.

"Syracuse is heads and shoulders above the rest when it comes to average annual snowfall total, and you can thank lake-effect snow for that," TWC writer Alan Raymond says. "'Cuse gets more than 10 feet of snow every year. So, if you like snow, this top-notch basketball school in Syracuse, N.Y., is the place for you."

Northern Arizona University, located in Flagstaff, Ariz., was named the second snowiest school in America. The Weather Channel explains NAU, located near the Grand Canyon, sees nearly 98 inches of snow every year, due to more humidity than in the rest of the state.

Rounding out the top five are No. 3 Montana State University (93.5"), No. 4 University of Colorado in Boulder (87.6") and No. 5 Binghamton University (85.3").

Besides SU and Binghamton, the new top 25 snowiest schools list included four other New York schools: No. 7 Colgate University (69.6"), No. 11 Cornell University (66.9") and No. 17 was a tie between SUNY Albany and Siena College (61.6").

The Weather Channel said its rankings were based on the nearly 350 Division 1 colleges and universities in the United States. The snowiest schools were determined by cross-referencing what city each campus is in with its 30-year season snowfall average from the nearest National Weather Service NOW data site.

That explains why their list is different from AccuWeather, who named Michigan Technological University No. 1 in a similar article last month. Students in Houghton, Mich., trudge through close to 200 inches of powder every month, but Michigan Tech is a Division II school.

Also SUNY Oswego, which somehow "tied" SU for the No. 2 spot on AccuWeather's list, was left off of The Weather Channel's rankings because it competes in NCAA Division III.

Many readers disagreed with AccuWeather's criteria, which was much less specific. AccuWeather writer Kristen Rodman told syracuse.com they focused on "well-known schools in which everyone would likely recognize and schools with typically a high number of students."